Maximo Quiles reaches the next stage of his Grand Prix journey
Maximo Quiles will graduate to Moto2 with the CFMOTO Aspar Team in 2027, taking the next step in one of the fastest progression through the modern Grand Prix development system.
The 18-year-old Spaniard will remain with the Jorge Martínez “Espar” outfit after completing his second Moto3 campaign, although he still has some significant work to complete before turning his attention to the larger and significantly more powerful Moto2 machine.
Quills began the second half of the 2026 season with 231 points and a 104-point lead over Brian Uriarte. His number is just two points less than the Moto3 benchmark Luis Salome set during the opening 11 rounds of the 2013 season.
Ten podiums from 11 starts this year, including six wins, brings Quiles’ career record to nine wins and 19 podiums in just 29 Moto3 appearances.
At this point, his promotion seems less like a surprise than a confirmation of a trajectory that has been building for several seasons.
From European Talent Cup to Grand Prix Racing
Quills first emerged as a major prospect when he won the European Talent Cup as a rookie in 2021, recording three wins and five podiums during his debut campaign.
He repeated that success with the Aspar Junior team in 2023, scoring five wins on the way to a second European Talent Cup title. MCNews followed that title campaign until the conclusion of the Valencia season, where Quilles completed the championship.
At the same time, the Murcia rider was sharpening his racecraft in the Red Bull MotoGP Rookies Cup. He finished third in the standings in both 2022 and 2023, before recording more wins during the 2024 season.
Among those performances was a brilliantly judged last lap victory at Le Mans, where he was congratulated by Marc Marquez at the Parc Ferme, followed by another victory in the typically frenetic Rookies Cup competition at Mugello.
Quills also stepped up to JuniorGP during 2024. His progress culminated in a first JuniorGP victory in the season finale at Estoril, giving Esper further proof that he was ready for the World Championship.
Immediate effect in Moto3
Quills was signed for the 2025 Moto3 season before turning 17 and made his Grand Prix debut at COTA shortly after his birthday. He immediately led the opening lap of his first World Championship race, giving an early glimpse of the confidence with which he would attack the category.
His first podium came at Silverstone, where Quiles finished second behind José Antonio Rueda. A month later, he turned that promise into a spectacular victory at Mugello.
Starting on the third row, Quills worked his way through the lead group before taking control at the final corner. He then defeated his teammate Alvaro Carpe by just 0.006 seconds.
It was an appropriately dramatic first Grand Prix win for a rider whose junior career was built around an apparent lack of concern about last-lap decisions, positioning and elbow rubbing.
Quills scored another win at Balaton Park after a fierce last-lap clash with Valentin Perron, the pair crossing the line by just 0.018 seconds.
An impressive win in Portimao completed his three-win rookie campaign. Quills finished third in the 2025 Moto3 World Championship with 274 points, missing out on second place by just eight points, while comfortably securing Rookie of the Year honours.
Promise becomes control in 2026
Quiles’ rookie season showcased his full speed. His second year has shown how quickly he has learned to translate that momentum into consistent results.
He started 2026 by missing out on victory in Thailand by just 0.003 seconds and won the restarted Brazilian Grand Prix on his 18th birthday. Second place came at COTA, where Guido Pini beat him by 0.056 seconds.
That combination of pace and consistent scoring placed Quiles at the center of the championship from the start, although the early stages still appeared so shaky that it was difficult to imagine a runaway title campaign. As we mentioned in our early season Moto3 form guide, coils became the common factor at the front of an otherwise chaotic category.
Then he began to turn continuity into control.
A spectacular home win at Jerez was followed by a win in wet weather at Le Mans. Quiles then completed a run of three consecutive wins in Catalunya, overcoming downshift problems and a difficult middle stage of the race, before switching to what he described as “killer mode” in the final laps.
He crossed the Catalunya finish line only 0.094 seconds ahead of Carpe, with David Munoz also within two-tenths, but of wider importance was the championship margin. Barcelona’s victory extended Quiles’ advantage to 64 points after only six rounds.
Further wins followed at Balaton Park and Assen, where Quills resisted sustained pressure from David Almansa to claim his sixth win of the season.
Even his Sachsenring weekend demonstrated how much his approach has evolved. Quiles crashed before recording the time on Friday, causing him to pass through Q1, but managed to fight off Uriarte throughout the race and finish second by just 0.063 seconds.
Instead of taking a desperate risk on the last-corner, Quills scored another 20 points and left Germany increasing his championship lead to 104. The composure was remarkable from a rider whose early career was often defined by his willingness to attack almost any available gap.
Maximo Coils
“I’m a more accomplished rider. I have more experience, and I think I make better decisions. Last year I was really keen – that’s normal when you’re a novice at the World Championship.
“Now I watch the race and say, ‘Look, I didn’t need to get ahead there.’ That curiosity can sometimes get the better of you and lead to mistakes that I now try to avoid repeating. This year I am calm and I do things when it is right to do them.
Looking forward to Moto2 in 2027
Quill’s promotion continues a well-established path within the Esper organization.
Albert Arenas, Izán Guevara and David Alonso all won Moto3 World Championships with the team before moving up to Moto2. Esper now hopes the Quills can complete the same journey, although the team is careful not to treat the 2026 title as a foregone conclusion.
Jorge Martínez “Esper”
“We are delighted to be able to compete with Maximo Quiles in Moto2. He has been the rider to beat in Moto3 this year and we will continue to work hard in the coming months to finish the season as champion before making the jump to the intermediate category.
“We believe he is ready for all the challenges that lie ahead and we know that together we can give our best. Furthermore, with Máximo moving to Moto2 – as we did with Arenas, Guevara and Alonso – we are continuing to strengthen our rider development model from grassroots all the way to the World Championship.”
Quiles believes the physical dimensions and ride characteristics of the Moto 2 machine should suit him, especially given his height and long arms, and admits he is already eager to begin testing.
Maximo Coils
“I’m really inspired and can’t wait to try the Moto 2 bike. I think it will be a bike that really suits my style and is a lot of fun. I’m tall and have long arms, so I think this type of bike will be good for me.”
That opportunity will come soon. For now, Quills insists there will be no changes to the session-by-session approach that has propelled him to such a commanding position.
With half the season still to go, the immediate aim is to convert his 104-point advantage into a Moto3 crown. Should he succeed, Quiles Arenas will arrive in Moto2 following a similar path to Guevara and Alonso – but with a rate of progression that is remarkable even by Esper’s lofty development standards.
